Did Singapore Sports Hub fail to wow global audiences?

Hosting a world class match is no easy feat. But had it been done right, it could have gotten Singapore Sports Hub’s position sealed on the global sporting arena.While the Sports Hub opened with much fanfare recently and has been getting quite a fair bit of attention, it might not be the kind it initially desired when agreeing to host a friendly match between the star studded soccer teams of Brazil and Japan on Tuesday.According to Yahoo news, Brazil’s coach had raised his concern about the state of the stadium prior to the match which drew in 55,000 people. However, the Football Association of Singapore declared the pitch safe for playing despite not being being of “international playing standards.”After the game, it was also reported that one of the players had called the pitch “horrible”.Lim Teck Yin, CEO, Sport Singapore also told Marketing in a statement that the International Football Friendly between Brazil and Japan provided a star-studded extravaganza that enthralled the capacity crowd and it was a “great pity” that the pitch was of such “sub-standard”.“While playable, [the pitch] was far from being satisfactory for an international match at any level befitting of our new National Stadium.  This is a significant disappointment and has led to public outcry since the match between the Singapore Selection and Juventus till now,” said Lim.He added that the pitch remains one of the key deliverables that the Sports Hub has yet to fulfill in spite of promises and assurances had been given in the past to the government and the public.Following the match, Sport Singapore is also now concerned that that the National Stadium will not be ready to host the upcoming Suzuki Cup that is due to start on 23rd November 2014.“Sport Singapore will hold SHPL accountable for the outcomes of their next actions.  We cannot be paying for what has not been delivered. Singapore had been confirmed as the co-host for the AFF Suzuki Cup since 4th April 2013. Knowing what they now know, we expect that our partners at Sports Hub will do everything necessary to ensure that the pitch and National Stadium would meet the AFF’s requirements and standards for the Suzuki Cup,” said Lim.